Olympic Judo Star Teddy Riner Credits Morocco for Bronze Medal Success

It was the Russian Tamerlan Bashaev, world No. 1, who, in overtime, put an end to the Frenchman’s dream, beating him by waza-ari in the quarterfinals in a fight that Riner seemed to be controlling. Riner settled for bronze in the +100 kg category. This is far from the prestigious triple Olympic judo champion he was burning to snatch in Tokyo, in the very temple of Japanese judo, the Nippon Budokan.

This missed feat of the French judoka is held by the Japanese Tadahiro Nomura, so far the only triple Olympic champion, men and women combined, in the under 60 kg category, in 2000, 2004 and 2008.